Khadija Musa, 6, left, and her sister Hawa Musa, 8, right, work on math problems after school. Students got some help with homework during a session devoted to individual tutoring at the Bridge Project classrooms at the Westwood Opportunity Center.

As Sitey Musa scrawled answers to arithmetic problems on a sheet of paper, Erin Howard, an educator with the Bridge Project, helped another child tread his way through a different homework assignment.

Musa was one of about 20 elementary-school-age children doing their homework — and getting help with it — during an after-school program at one of the nonprofit’s four facilities, all of which are located in public-housing communities.

“It’s cool because they help you with your homework and they make sure you are safe,” said Musa, 10, who was working at a table with two of her sisters, Khadija, 6, and Hawa, 8.

These children of Somali refugees attend Goldrick Elementary School and live in Denver Housing Authority’s Westwood Homes in west Denver, one of four city housing complexes where Bridge Project runs programs.

The Bridge Project was formed 21 years ago when prominent Denver developer Philip Winn approached then-University of Denver Chancellor Dan Ritchie about the high dropout rate among children growing up in public housing projects.

Faculty of the DU Graduate School of Social Work and members of the hard-pressed neighborhoods worked together to develop the program.

Last year, the Bridge Project’s after-school programs provided homework help to 500 children, one-on-one tutoring to 306 kids weekly, and classes in computer use to 460.

Children in the program average 10 years of age.

Funding comes from private contributions, and from local, state and federal grants. The Bridge Project is an agency that has received funding from Denver Post Charities Season to Share.

Howard, 30, and other staff members correspond with classroom teachers to determine which subjects the kids need help with.

“They’re overcrowded, and the teachers work very hard,” Howard said of the schools near the complexes where Bridge operates, including Columbine, Quigg-Newton and South Lincoln.

The organization also offers a summer program that includes a literacy program, outdoor education and a technology academy.

An older sister of the Musa girls, Asli, 18, works for the Bridge Project teaching computer literacy to younger children.

“The kids really listen to the lessons I have to teach. I really enjoy it, and they enjoy it as well,” said Asli, who earns $7.64 an hour, Colorado’s minimum wage.

Asli and other teens who work at Bridge are role models for those they help teach, said executive director Molly Calhoun.

Bridge also has a scholarship program that provides full tuition and other support to students attending local colleges, universities and trade schools.

In return for the scholarships, students volunteer 40 hours a year to mentor, tutor and read to children.

Sixty-two young adults are currently attending school on the scholarships, and 48 have graduated from schools.

Two of Asli’s older brothers have been awarded the scholarships, Calhoun said.

Asli, a South High School student, attended the after-school program before landing the part-time job there this year.

“I started coming in the fifth grade,” she said. “They always helped with homework and made sure the answers were all correct and my grades went up.”

The bridge project

Address: 2148 S. High St., Denver, 80208

In operation since: 1991

Number served last year: 628

Staff: 22, plus 30 high-school students

Yearly budget: $1.5 million

Percentage of funds directly given to clients and services: 88 percent

A general assignment reporter for The Denver Post, Tom McGhee has covered business, police, courts, higher education and breaking news. He came to The Post from Albuquerque, N.M., where he worked for a year and a half covering utilities. He began his journalism career in New York City, worked for a pair of community weeklies that covered the west side of Manhattan from 14th Street to 125th Street.

My husband and I are retired. We married 12 years ago — several years after his ex had an affair and left him. My husband has two grown sons (around 40), one of whom is married. The married son and his wife essentially ignore that I exist.